


Little Flames Daycare

by SifuHotmansHonor



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: ABDL, Anxiety, Anxious Zuko (Avatar), Baby Zuko (Avatar), Daycare, Diapers, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Non-Consensual Spanking, Non-Sexual Age Play, Protective Iroh (Avatar), Protective Katara (Avatar), Punishment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 14:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30023352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SifuHotmansHonor/pseuds/SifuHotmansHonor
Summary: After the war, people want the Fire Nation to be run by a council, and Zuko makes it happen. Luckily for him and all the other Littles in his country, the council decides to fund daycare schools. So... Katara makes Zuko go to daycare.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Jin & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	Little Flames Daycare

It was after the war when Zuko, heir to the throne, had to face a protest that involved most of his nation. His people didn't want a Fire Lord anymore, they wanted to vote; they wanted a council that divided the power among various politicians. After what the war had caused to their nation and the rest of the world, the Fire Nation wanted to redeem itself and to stop being a danger to others. To do that, they needed to have a government that involved more than a single person, which had proved to be a disaster. 

At first, Zuko had trouble accepting that he would never get to prove his worth to his people, who might always think that he was a failure. And what about those who didn't want a council but wanted a Fire Lord instead? Would they think he was a coward for giving in to people's demands? Maybe they would think that he was a pathetic boy and that that had been the reason why Ozai had always despised him. And… what would Azula think? She would think he was too scared to rule his country. 

There was another problem that would have bothered Zuko had he been crowned Fire Lord: people were divided into Caregivers, Baselines and Littles, and he was a Little. He could've started off just fine, attending the long and boring meetings and doing piles of paperwork every day, but he wouldn't have lasted a week without having enough time to play and be cared for by his friends. Katara had been his caregiver since after escaping The Boiling Rock, and she wouldn't have resisted either, had Zuko had to face the pressure of being Fire Lord. Also, he would've had to hide his status from his people, otherwise they would've tried to overthrow him instantly. Since most people were Baselines, and some of them didn't understand or even like Littles, many would've hated him. 

But everything was fine: Iroh helped Zuko with the process of elections, and they wrote a speech together; Katara got everyone a nice house in the suburbs of the Fire Nation and made it suitable for each one of them; Toph, Sokka and Suki continued training as warriors and worked out a plan for the elections day to be safe for everyone. Zuko announced his state publicly and, contrary as he had expected, most people applauded him for his honesty. Of course, there were some that insulted him or were relieved not to have him as Fire Lord, but Katara held his hand and told him to take a deep breath. 

Many people applied, but none of them were as popular as Lee, the caregiver. In spite of showing particular interest in Littles' and Caregivers' rights, he had many economic policies in mind that people liked. Also, he was very charismatic and eloquent. There were many other candidates, who were also popular, but who had less exciting ideas. They still could be part of the government, though, since the five people with the majority of votes were who would win the elections.

The whole group voted for Lee, not only because they wanted Katara's and Zuko's rights to be important for the government, but also because they had personally met the man and agreed that he truly cared about people. 

Lee was the candidate with 43% of votes, Haruki with the 21%, Kimura with 15%, Yamato with 12% and Toshio with 9%. Yes, everyone in the Fire Nation had voted. A detail that everyone noticed was that the candidates that now we're part of the government were all under 35 years of age. Everyone wanted new ideas, which they thought might only come from younger people.

The first policy that the council implemented was to create schools for Littles as well as Baselines and Caregivers. Since traditional learning methods were unsuitable for Littles, Lee had suggested that Littles should go to daycare instead of attending school. There, they would have the perfect space to play and be carefree with people with the same mental age as them. After a few months, the whole Fire Nation had at least one kindergarten per town. Not everyone in the country was happy to have millions invested in that project, but most people were thankful for having a place where Littles could be themselves— apart from their homes, of course. 

All of that context led to this morning. 

"Zuko!" Katara said, making the boy turn around and pretend that he wasn't trying to escape instead of putting on his daycare uniform. 

"What?" He hid his wrinkled uniform behind his back and smiled forcefully.

Katara narrowed her eyes. "Stop trying to fool me and put on your uniform" She admonished. "Unless you want me to do it" 

Zuko blushed and shook his head. No, he thought it was humiliating enough to have his diapers changed and his needs as a Little taken care of. To be honest, Katara did dress him up most of the time because he always managed to put on clothes inside out. But today he wanted to be a big boy and put on his clothes by himself. 

"No, mommy" He still blushed when he said that word, it made him feel so little! 

He didn't want to go to daycare. He had always done awfully at school and he was sure that, just like his father had done, Katara and the rest of the group would think that he was worthless once he'd failed his subjects over and over. The thought brought tears to his eyes, just like every time he thought about going to daycare and screwing up. 

The change in his expression caught Katara's eye, so she took him by his hand and sat down on his bed with him. 

"Honey, we've talked about this many times but you never told me the truth. I want you to do it now" She paused. "Why are you so upset about going to daycare?" She hugged him and slowly caressed his arm. 

Zuko looked down. He didn't want to answer, it made him feel ashamed of himself.

"If you tell me, then we'll be able to help" She told him. 

Zuko shook his head, tired of hearing the same words over and over. Shame made him angry, it was what he had learned and he accepted that sometimes, even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to remain calm and talk about his feelings. 

"No, 'cause I'll fail and you'll have to hit me!" He yelled and stood up, ready to storm off. Katara's hand gently wrapped around his wrist in time to keep him still. He didn't turn to look at her, he felt ashamed. 

Katara's eyes were watery. "Zuko, we would never!" She tugged on his arm until her arm could wrap around his hip and she could pull him into her lap. Her arms held him close to her chest, where he hid his face as tears rolled down his cheeks and sobs shook his body. "Zuko, we are a family. We will never hurt you, not even if you make big mistakes. You don't have to fear us" 

"B-but you'll b-be angry if I fail" He cried harder. "I-I suck at school" 

Katara gave his upper thigh a few gentle pats. "You don't have to worry about that. We don't care about grades, we only care about you being happy" 

"School d-doesn't make me happy" He mumbled. 

Katara nodded, still holding him and patting his thigh affectionately a few more times. "Daycare will be different, sweetie. School isn't suitable for your needs, but daycare is. You'll have lots of fun there, and you won't have to worry about subjects and grades anymore. It's just a space for you and other Littles to play games and do stuff you like" 

Zuko shook his head. "I-I can do that here…" 

Katara chuckled. "That's not the point, the point is that you get to play with other kids" She checked the clock and realized that it was getting late. "Let's give it a shot, can we?" 

Zuko shook his head again. "No, I wanna stay here with you!" He clung to her and felt more tears run down his face and land on Katara's clothes. 

Katara sighed. "It'll be for just a little while, and I'll be there with you!" She said, making Zuko look up at her. 

"Really?" His eyes shimmered. Would Katara really be there with him? That sounded so cool!

Katara nodded. "Yeah, since it's the first day in daycare, Caregivers need to be there with their babies" 

Zuko's face fell. It would be only for the first day and then he'd have to stay there on his own?! No, he didn't like that. But… he could try the first day and then never go back. 

Katara managed to get Zuko dressed in just a few minutes, which wouldn't have happened had he put on his clothes by himself. Then, she carried him to the living room, where everyone was talking and waiting for them to wish them good luck. Iroh was there, too, and smiled when he saw his nephew in his daycare uniform. 

"Hope they let you have some tea!" Iroh said, still smiling. He patted his nephew's shoulder gently and looked him in the eye. "Have fun and be good for your mama" Zuko nodded. 

The Little Flames Daycare was filled with people on the first day of school. Caregivers and Littles were chatting in big and medium-sized groups, as teachers got everything ready for the headmistress' speech. Katara led Zuko into the huge patio, feeling how the boy nervously pressed her hand as he walked along. 

"It'll be okay, Zuko" She told him and stopped walking when they got to the centre of the patio, where not so many people had gathered. 

Littles ran in circles, playing tag and bantering loudly about toys and games. Zuko stared at them until he noticed that Katara, who notoriously hoped he'd run towards the other kids and play along, was looking at him. He shook his head and regretted giving the place a chance. He knew he wouldn't fit in. Also, he knew that people would recognize him and be angry because of all the damage war had done to their families. Before he knew it, he was tugging on Katara's hand and asking her to go back home. 

"No, we're staying," Katara told him, looking him in the eye. "Remember what we said, about giving daycare a chance today?" 

Zuko nodded, looking down to his feet. "Yes, b-but…" He was too nervous to even speak. "I wanna go home" He looked at her pleadingly, something that he hardly ever did since he thought it made him look weak, and her expression softened. 

Katara was about to speak when everyone went quiet and a tall, gray-haired woman appeared on the wooden stage that was many feet apart from them. The woman spoke in a calm but firm way, greeting both Caregivers and Littles and starting to talk about their plans regarding education and behavior. At first, Zuko stayed very still because the woman appeared frightening to him, but once minutes passed by he started feeling squirmy and jumpy again and he tugged on Katara's hand. 

"Zuko, pay attention" She told him, already eager to begin the kindergarten journey with her little boy. 

Zuko shook his head. "No, ma. Home" Why didn't she listen to him? Didn't she see that he was nervous and needed to go back home? She only seemed to care about him being somewhere he clearly didn't want to be. 

Katara sighed. "Let's stay for a bit longer, come on" She told him, this time almost begging him to stay some more. She knew she had to be more firm, otherwise he'd never understand boundaries, but the boy always managed to make her heart speak instead of her brain. 

Zuko furrowed his brow. She would never understand how he felt, she didn't care about him feeling uncomfortable. But… maybe he could take care of himself without her help, right? At least for that day, when he felt so misunderstood. He had been on his own for months, so why couldn't he be by himself for a few hours? He didn't even need to be alone for that long, he could head home directly and hope for Katara not to drag him back to daycare. 

So Zuko let go of Katara's hand and took off. She didn't react at first, not understanding that Zuko was actually walking away from her, but once it hit her she started walking towards him. But Zuko disappeared in the crowd, blending in easily among other kids and Caregivers. He even wore the same outfit as every other Little, so it would be harder for her to find him. 

"Zuko!" She yelled, looking around her and moving forward. "Zuko, come back!" She bumped into a tall, broad-backed man, who turned to look at her, scowling. Katara smiled apologetically. "S-sorry sir!" Before the man could say anything, she started walking again. "ZUKO!" 

Zuko had walked in circles, trying to find the exit, until he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. 

"Jin?" He walked towards her and she looked at him, instantly knowing who he was. 

"Lee?" She ran towards him and hugged him. 

"What're you doing here?" They asked at the same time and laughed at the coincidence. Zuko scratched the back of his head. 

"Actually, I'm Zuko; former Prince Zuko" He explained and her face went pale. Of course she'd turn pale, he thought, she always thought that his name was Lee and that he was from the Earth Kingdom! Nothing he had told her about himself was true!

Jin looked down. "I see…" 

Zuko felt bad for her. "I'm sorry for lying, I was running away from my dad and my sister-- they wanted to kill me. No one could know who I was" All the guilt he was feeling made him forget about running away from Katara and escaping daycare. 

Jin nodded. "I get it… Zuko" 

Suddenly, a man came from behind him and stood in between him and Jin, putting a protective arm before her chest. "What's going on, Jin?" The young man asked, looking at Zuko as if he was some thug who was harassing the girl. 

Zuko stepped back, trying to come up with something to say. But he didn't have to say anything to him, since the man noticed the scar on his face and his expression softened. 

"P-prince Zuko?" The man stared at him in awe and bowed respectfully, placing his fist below his palm. Zuko copied the movement and greeted the man respectfully. 

"Just Zuko, Sir" He smiled, blushing a slightly pink color. 

"Pardon me for prying, but… Are you a Little?" The man asked, taking a look at Zuko's uniform and seeing it was the same as Jin's. 

Zuko nodded, a little bit embarrassed. He should've thought about people recognizing him at the daycare, why wouldn't they? 

"Yes, Sir" He answered properly, remembering when his father had grabbed him by his ponytail and yelled at him about speaking when being spoken to. 

The man nodded. "Just call me Sato" He smiled, putting one of his big hands on Jin's tiny shoulder. He seemed nice, and Jin seemed happy to be with him. "I'm Jin's caregiver" He told Zuko, still smiling, and then looked around. "Where's yours?" He didn't mean to offend the former heir to the throne, but if he was a Little he shouldn't be on his own, least of all should he be talking to strangers. 

Before Zuko could answer, a small part of the crowd cleared and let a moody and worried Katara through. She quickly spotted him and made her way towards her bratty Little. 

"Zuko!" She quickly wrapped her hand around his wrist, unintentionally making him flinch, and tried to start walking towards their previous spot. 

Zuko didn't move. "Jin's here!" He told Katara, hoping that she would let him keep on chatting with her and her caregiver. 

Katara looked over her shoulder and saw a small, beautiful brunette and a tall, muscley, young man. She then looked at Zuko, who seemed a lot more relaxed than before the attempted escape. 

"Who's Jin?" She asked him, letting go of his wrist and watching him approach the girl. 

"Mommy, this is Jin, my friend from Ba Sing Se" He explained. The girl took a breath, apparently meaning to say something, but he accidentally interrupted her. "I met her when I was working with Uncle at the tea shop" 

And then Jin spoke. "We dated once" She said, making Sato look at her, surprised, and having Katara do the same with Zuko. 

She didn't understand. How had all of that happened, when he was the Fire Nation prince and his country wanted to conquer Ba Sing Se? "How… Did she know about--?"

Jin shook her head. "He said his name was Lee" 

Katara shook her head. She couldn't be upset about that, though, since Zuko was still her enemy, the boy who had chased them all over the world in order to capture Aang, when that happened. But she didn't like that Zuko had lied to Jin, and she would talk to him about that later. She'd also talk to him about his behavior, which she considered would be fixed with some kind of punishment. 

Jin looked down, moving her foot and dragging her toes against the floor. "So… What group are you in?" She asked Zuko, hoping they would get to be together. 

Zuko shrugged, not noticing her nervousness. "Uh… I don't know" He turned to look at Katara. "Mommy, what group am I in?" 

Katara seemed lost; she hadn't heard anything about groups. "I don't know, honey, but I bet they'll tell us once the speech is over" She paused. "Now let's pay attention, alright?" Zuko and Jin nodded. 

Jin got closer to Zuko and stared at him as she heard the headmistress speak about things she didn't pay attention to. But Zuko did pay attention, since he wanted to know what the experience would be like. He couldn't believe he was feeling less reluctant to stay, just because someone he knew would be there with him– apart from Katara, of course. 

Once the speech was over, the headmistress told Caregivers to fill out forms, which were handed out to them instantly by the teachers. Katara read the content of the two sheets of paper carefully, seeing that they wanted to know what their Littles were like. 

Needs diapers? Yes/No. She marked "yes".

Is allergic to anything? Yes/No. If "yes", what to? Katara marked "yes", and wrote: cabbage. 

Takes any specific medication? Yes/No. She marked "no". 

Has already had flaming chickenpox? Yes/No. Katara didn't know, so she asked Zuko directly. Zuko said "no". 

Can bend any of the elements? Yes/No. If "yes", which? Katara marked "yes", and wrote: fire. 

Can read and write? Yes/No. Katara marked "yes". 

Can eat and drink on their own? Yes/No. Katara wasn't sure which one to mark, since Zuko liked being SECRETLY fed but could feed himself if he needed to. She marked "yes". She wasn't sure Zuko would allow anyone apart from her to feed him. 

Needs to take naps? Yes/No. Katara marked "yes" instantly. 

Zuko, who was reading what Katara was marking, complained. "Ma!" He furrowed his brow. "Why do they need to know if I need diapers?" He asked angrily. 

Katara wished she didn't have to answer. "Well, just in case you have an accident and need a change" 

Zuko's eyes widened and his cheeks turned bright pink. "Th-they'd call you, right?" 

Katara bit her bottom lip. "No, they'd change you right away" 

Zuko felt his stomach churn. "B-but…" He was getting stressed again, and the urge to leave almost made him run away. Katara held him in place this time, looking at him severely. 

A lady came and retrieved the papers.

"First of all, you're going nowhere. Second, there are many teachers and you, along with other few kids, will get only one in particular to change you. Unless they're too busy, you'll have your diapers changed by that teacher specifically" She explained, since she had heard that part of the speech before Zuko ran away earlier. 

Zuko pouted— not that he would admit it. He wanted to go home, wanted Katara to tell him that he didn't have to attend classes if he didn't want to… He wanted the whole group to cuddle him until he fell asleep. 

"Alright" The headmistress clapped her hands a few times. "Each one of your Littles will receive a specific classification, since they will be divided into three groups: babies, toddlers and children. The groups will only mix during lunch and recess, but the rest of the day they will be in their assigned classroom" She paused. "Those forms you just filled will help us determine which group your children belong in. Littles will be called into their respective group in the following ten minutes" 

Zuko looked at Katara. Even though he liked being little at home, he felt uncomfortable when people other than his family saw him as a young boy. Katara did her most not to do anything to embarrass him, and even stopped checking his diaper in public, but he didn't think teachers would do the same. They would want to make things quick and simple, and that would make them act carelessly. So… he hoped he'd get a Child classification, since it was the best category there was. 

"It'll be fine, you'll see," Katara told him, anticipating that he would be feeling upset about being classified. 

Zuko looked down. Teachers had already started calling kids by their names and putting them in their respective groups. Jin had just been called and told to stand in the Toddlers line. It was a shame, he'd only meet her during recess and lunch because she was a Toddler and he'd be a Child. 

"Zuko" A young, dark-haired woman called him. Katara smiled and nodded for him to walk over to the line, which he did. 

But… Jin was in that line as well. Oh, no. There must have been a mistake, he was sure there was another Zuko. There had to be. 

"Zuko" The lady waved at him and motioned him over. He stood still, not wanting to move. 

"Come on, sweetie, they're calling you" Katara encouraged him to walk and he slowly moved his feet until he was in front of the lady. 

"Zuko, welcome to the Toddlers' group" The woman said, smiling. 

Zuko went pale. "I-I… I'm a big boy, there's been a mistake"

The woman shook her head. "No no, you belong in this group. Those who need diapers and naps but can write, read and eat on their own are Toddlers" She explained calmly. 

Zuko blushed. Katara encouraged him to walk towards the end of the line. 

The teacher, Aika, had introduced herself and asked every Toddler to do the same. She asked what they liked and disliked, which resulted in many kids saying that they liked candy and disliked homework. Zuko said that he liked his family and disliked broccoli. Katara, who was sitting on the other side of the room, along with the rest of the caregivers, smiled proudly and waved at him from time to time, catching him always waving first. Each time he spoke, his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, Katara noticed. 

"Okay, now it's time for these little Toddlers to play" Aika said, fetching many boxes with toys and books. "Caregivers, you can play with your babies if you want to, but the idea is that they play with each other or on their own" She explained, looking at some Littles that stared at their respective Caregivers, longing for some time to play together. "Also, and before I let them use these toys, I want to remind Littles to tell any of the teachers when they need a change. After their first change, they will be assigned the same teacher for every change. Each teacher will take care of seven Littles" 

Katara looked at Zuko, who stared at her and seemed eager to get some toys. Once Aika announced that they could stand up and start retrieving the items, Zuko and the other Littles stood up. He quickly grabbed a wooden ostrich horse and a ninja, which reminded him of his adventures as the Blue Spirit. He walked over to Katara and sat down next to her, blushing. 

"You seem excited to play, I like it" She told him with a smile on her face. Zuko nodded just once and looked down, almost looking guilty for enjoying himself. "What are we playing?" Katara knew that she was supposed to tell Zuko to play with the other kids, but she didn't want to force her shy baby to do something he wasn't ready for. She was sure that he would do it once he felt prepared. 

Zuko smiled. "This is a ninja and that's his partner," He explained. "They go everywhere together, catching bad guys and taking them to the police" 

More than playing, Zuko enjoyed making up backstories for his characters. They were mostly lonely, young men who fought to do what's right and learned to make friends. Katara knew that Zuko was replaying his own story over and over, so she always listened carefully as to know him better without needing to have him tell her anecdotes or sad moments he'd been through years earlier. 

"And why does he always want to catch bad guys?" She asked, after having Zuko make up a dialogue between the ninja and the ostrich horse, in which the man said that he wanted to catch a dangerous man. 

Zuko shrugged. "Cause he has a family to keep safe" He said, as he pretended to have the ninja defeat the enemy. 

Katara raised an eyebrow. "But… he's alone" 

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, but it's 'cause that's how the story starts" 

"And doesn't his family spend time with him?" She asked him, fearing the answer she'd get. 

Zuko thought about it. "Mmm… they're there" He pointed to a book he had opened and placed on the floor, making it look like a tent. "It's the same place" 

Katara's heart shattered. She knew that, at first, after helping Suki, Hakoda and their other friends out of the Boiling Rock, Zuko had been left out because they didn't trust him yet, but it hurt her that Zuko seemed somehow traumatized by it. Yes, at that time he was still the annoying, dangerous boy who had chased and tried to kill them, but it still made her feel bad. She wished she had seen through him sooner; had she, he would've felt part of their family sooner. 

"And he still feels that way?" She asked, shaking a little bit, and Zuko looked at her for a second. He shook his head.

"No, that's his story" He shrugged. "'S in the past" 

Their day at the daycare resumed to Zuko only playing with Katara, gathering some more toys and eating cookies the teachers were handing out. Katara felt bad for her baby, who seemed to dislike the idea of playing with other kids, but she cheered up when she watched Jin approach Zuko and share her cookies with him. He seemed to like her, and in spite of having dated many months earlier, it looked like he didn't have any romantic feelings for her. Jin, on the other hand, blushed every time Zuko looked at her or took a cookie from her hands. 

"I'd share mine with you but I ate them" Zuko looked down, a bit ashamed. Had he known Jin would want them to share cookies, he would've saved his for her. 

Jin smiled. "'s okay" She looked at the toy in Zuko's left hand. "What's that?" 

Zuko looked at the toy, having forgotten that he was still holding it, and said: "It's a ninja" 

Jin took the wooden ninja and stared at it. Then, she ran towards her previous spot to fetch a doll. "He can be a couple with my doll!" 

Zuko scratched the back of his head. He didn't think the ninja wanted a girlfriend… He turned to look at Katara, who gave him an "I don't know" look, which didn't seem to show any disapproval, so he nodded. 

"Uh… okay" He said, and Jin smiled wide. 

Katara didn't think he truly understood what he had agreed to, but she decided not to interfere, at least not in front of the young girl. 

During most of the recess, Jin tried to convince Zuko to play tag with her and let other kids join them, but Zuko felt too shy to want to even run in front of other kids. What if he fell and everyone thought he was clumsy? What if they tripped him, just like Azula did when she was jealous of him getting any attention from their mom? 

"Come on, Zuko, it'll be just for a few minutes" Katara told him, gesturing for him to join a patient Jin. She wanted him to participate and feel comfortable, so that the next day he wouldn't miss her so badly. 

Zuko shook his head and looked at his surroundings, finding that the big kids and the babies were blending in. "No, mommy, I want to sit and talk" He paused. "And eat more strawberry cookies" 

Jin approached Zuko and put a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch slightly. That didn't stop her, but it did hurt her feelings a little bit. "It could be just you and me for a little while" She said sweetly. "So you can try" 

Sato nodded and spoke with his low, warm voice. "Yeah, it could be fun" 

Zuko thought about it. He didn't want to do it, but he thought that maybe, if he at least tried, he would make his family proud for having tried new things. He felt ashamed of his previous behavior, but he felt he could redeem himself if he made an effort. 

He nodded. "'Kay, but just you and me at first" 

Jin nodded and stayed quiet for a few seconds, before stretching her arm to touch Zuko's chest. "You're it!" She took off, and Zuko was surprised to see that she could run really fast. 

"She runs fast like Aang" He told Katara, who laughed covering her mouth with her hands. 

After that, he ran after Jin, who yelled at him that he was slow. He caught up with her after a few minutes of running around, and touched her shoulder blade. "You're it!" 

They spent the rest of the recess playing tag, and by the time the teacher called everyone back inside Zuko's face was red and his hair stuck to his forehead due to the sweat. Jin looked almost as tired as him, but at least her uniform didn't need so much straightening as his did. 

Before entering the classroom, Katara rearranged Zuko's clothes, checking his diaper unnoticeably, and wiped some sweat off his face with a tissue. "Baby, you're wet" She said, and he looked at her, wide-eyed. "You didn't notice?" 

He looked down and shook his head. "Sorry" 

Katara hugged him. "It's okay, honey" She finished preparing him to go back into the classroom. "It must've just happened" 

Zuko still looked down. "Felt something warm but thought it was just heat" He tried to explain himself, though he didn't have to. 

"It's fine. Now, sit down and I'll go find the teacher" She made a gesture for him to sit back down on his red pillow. 

Zuko paled and shook his head. "No ma, you change me!" He looked at her pleadingly. "Please, mommy" 

Katara nodded. "Okay, but tomorrow you'll have to ask a teacher to do it" She grabbed his hand and walked him to the door, where two teachers were conversing. "Excuse me" She said, and both women turned to look at her. 

"Yes, what can we help you with?" The short brunette asked respectfully. 

"I'm looking for a place where I can change him" She gestured towards Zuko, who was right beside her and who blushed from his neck to the tip of his good ear. 

The teacher made an understanding gesture. "I see someone's a bit shy, isn't he?" She looked at Zuko, who quickly hid behind Katara. Even though he was taller than her, his thin frame allowed him to hide perfectly behind his caregiver if he bent over a little bit. 

Katara nodded as she caressed the back of Zuko's hand with her thumb. "He's very shy, he's only let me change him so far. He knows that will change from now on, but he wants me to change him one last time before you, ladies, begin" 

"There's an empty classroom at the end of the hall, you can use it to change him" The woman said, smiling. Katara thanked her and then scooped Zuko up and carried him to said classroom. 

"You've been such a big boy today, huh" She said, giving his padded butt a few pats before she opened the door and entered the room with him. "Trying new stuff and all that" 

She sat him down on the teacher's desk and grabbed a towel from her bag. Then, she waited for him to lay down and pulled down his pants, revealing the wet cloth diaper. It was a bit thick, since Zuko usually wet a lot, but it wasn't too noticeable when he wore pants.   
Katara changed him quickly, wiping him gently and powdering him just enough for him not to have any rashes. Then, she dressed him back up and carried him. 

"Thanks mommy," Zuko said, face buried into her neck. 

"Anything for you, sweetheart" She rubbed his back before carrying him into the classroom. 

Jin and Zuko spent the rest of the day playing together, not involving other kids since Zuko still felt too shy to want to play with someone other than Jin or Katara. After playing for a while, Zuko began feeling sleepy, so he left the wooden ninja on the floor and curled up against Katara. She carded her fingers through his hair and made him rest his head on her lap. 

Jin stared at Zuko for a few seconds and then looked at Katara. "Is he just gonna sleep?" She felt disappointed, how come he was going to sleep and not play with her?

Katara nodded slowly. "He's very tired, hardly slept last night" She looked at his face, seeing that he looked calm for the first time that day. "He was very nervous about coming here" 

Jin didn't understand. She was about to ask when Sato came over and handed Jin and Katara two big, red pillows and blankets. 

"Here, Aika said that our babies should take a nap before lunch" He explained as he set the pillow on the floor and gestured for Jin to use it. She grimaced. "Come on, be a good girl and take a short nap" 

Jin sighed. "Alright"

Katara got the pillow under Zuko's head and covered him with the blanket. He stirred a little bit but didn't even open his eyes before he stopped moving and began relaxing again. 

Sato sat down in front of Katara, watching from time to time that Jin didn't stay awake for too long. He wanted to ask so many questions, but he didn't think Katara would like to hear them. After fidgeting for several minutes, he decided to ask. He'd try to be as delicate as possible not to hurt her. 

"So, Katara… I'm sorry, but…" 

She nodded. "Just ask, it's okay" 

He sighed, relieved. "How come you're Prince Zuko's caregiver?" 

She chuckled. "Well, we met a long time ago. He would chase us all over the world, when it was just my brother, Aang, Toph and me. He was a real pain in the butt because he wanted to capture the Avatar, but he came around and helped us end the war. Redeemed himself. And that's when we discovered that he's a Little, when he joined us. Once we started to get along, I couldn't stop taking care of him, and one day he called me "mommy" while he was half asleep" 

Sato smiled. "What about…?" He gestured to his own face, right below his eye. Katara's eyes widened, and for a few seconds Sato thought she would cry or yell at him. She didn't. 

"Oh" Katara said. Before speaking, she took a deep breath. Talking about Zuko's past hurt her, but she felt better when she thought that she and the rest of their family were helping him heal his emotional wounds. "His father, the Fire Lord, burned him during an agni-kai" She explained, making Sato gasp. 

He couldn't believe it. "We-- we were told he was burned accidentally" 

Katara nodded. "He was twelve when it happened" She looked at Zuko, who was sleeping peacefully. "He's doing so much better now, though. He's still dealing with tough stuff, like-- like this morning" She paused and looked down. 

Sato looked at her worriedly. "What, what happened this morning?" 

Katara sighed. "He was afraid of coming here, so I asked him why. He told me that he was sure he'd fail his subjects and I'd have to hit him for it. His fears didn't come from nowhere, I'm sure his father humiliated and beat him when he didn't do well at school" She looked at Sato, who seemed horrified by her story. "I'm sure his sister, Azula, humiliated him, too" 

She looked down and fell silent. Then, she turned her head to look at Sato. He took that as a signal for him to speak. "I met Jin seven months ago. I was looking for a fresh start and she was desperate for guidance. I grew up in one of the colonies, so I've been in touch with Earth Kingdom people since I can remember. Jin says that I totally blend in, that my hazel eyes are the only thing that give me away" He looked at his baby girl, who was already sleeping peacefully, and couldn't help brushing some strands from her untroubled face. She looked very young, even younger than normal, when sleeping. Had she been shorter, Katara would've thought she couldn't be older than five. 

"And you guys just moved here after the war?" Katara asked. 

Sato half nodded, half shook his head. "Jin's parents weren't actually fond of me and our project of moving out, so she decided to escape. She had wanted to do it her whole life and, with Ba Sing Se still recovering from the Fire Nation attack, it was her chance to do as she pleased" He said. That aspect of Jin's life reminded her of Toph, who had escaped her controlling parents once she got the chance. Sato chuckled. "Can't believe these two babies already knew each other and dated!" 

Katara laughed. "Yeah, Zuko's journey in Ba Sing Se is still unclear to me. It was the only time we didn't have him chase us: when we were all in Ba Sing Se but didn't know it. He was with his uncle, Iroh, and my group and I were together, trying to talk to the Earth King" She sighed. "When I saw him again, he had changed so much. His hair was different, he was extremely underweight and his expression had changed. He looked more mature and a lot happier than the first times we saw" 

Sato smiled at Katara. "Looks like you've done a great job" 

Katara smiled proudly. "Thanks. We're doing our best to help him heal, but there's still a lot to do. I still struggle with some stuff, sometimes I feel I can't be mad at him, otherwise he'll feel threatened" 

Sato nodded, understanding. "It must be awful. Being afraid to scold or punish our kids because of mistakes their own parents made… it's one of the toughest aspects of being a caregiver" He turned to look at Jin. "The first time I spanked her I was afraid she would compare me to her overprotective parents. She didn't, she just cried a lot, but I felt like a monster" 

Katara nodded, remembering the first time she had to spank Zuko. "You tell me" She grimaced. "This little guy cried for hours, and spent the rest of the week covering his butt with his hands each time I turned to look at him" 

Sato chuckled. "He seems to be such a sweet boy, can barely imagine him being naughty" 

Katara snorted. "This little man?" She pointed to a snoring Zuko. "He gets in all kinds of trouble, always following his friends and doing crazy things. The other day, I heard him crying loudly and ran towards him. When I got there, I saw that he and Toph, his earth bending friend, had made up a sort of obstacle race and she accidentally hit him down there while bending the rock obstacles" 

Sato's eyes widened. "She hit him down there with an obstacle made of rocks?" 

Katara nodded. "My poor baby had to sit through a lecture AND two healing sessions. Still, he couldn't walk properly for days" 

"Ouch," Sato said, looking at Zuko. Then, he remembered what Katara had just said. "Did you just say... healing sessions?" 

She nodded. "Oh, yeah. I'm a water bender and I can use water to heal people". She explained calmly and Sato looked at her, surprised. 

"Th-that's amazing!" Sato exclaimed. 

They kept talking for a little while, until Jin woke up and asked Sato to hold her. Katara looked at them, a nice feeling making her smile. It looked like Jin and Sato were very close. Sato seemed to be a very loving Caregiver and a good listener, too; Jin seemed to be a sweet and polite little girl. It would be great if she and Zuko could play together at the daycare. Apart from Jin being a good influence for him regarding learning to be little, Zuko could really use a friend who was a Little, too. And it looked like Zuko made Jin feel comfortable and happy, so Katara really hoped they could stay friends for as long as possible. 

After some more minutes, Aika and the teachers started telling Caregivers to wake their Littles up so that they could have lunch and then go home. 

"Zuko, honey, time for lunch" Katara carded her fingers through his soft hair, causing him to stir in his sleep. "Come on, wakey wakey" 

"Nngh" Zuko groaned, barely opening his eyes. He was tired and a bit grumpy, so he stretched his arms for Katara to pull him into her lap. 

Katara shook her head. "No no, it's time for lunch my little turtleduck" She explained sweetly, trying to get him to stand up. 

Zuko whined and accentuated his desire of being held. "Mommy!" 

Katara sighed and helped Zuko up. Then, she scooped him up and patted his butt. He sighed contently, hiding his face into his mommy's neck. 

Sato looked at her. "Is he feeling alright?" 

As she heard her caregiver doubt whether Zuko was okay or not, she asked, too. "Yeah, is he okay?" 

Katara nodded. "He's fine, just a little grumpy" She heard Zuko whine again, so she patted his butt warningly this time. "He always gets cuddly after his naps, and doesn't like it when I can't cuddle him" 

Jin blushed. She wanted to cuddle Zuko after waking up from their nap! It was crazy, but she felt butterflies swarm in her belly when she looked at Zuko. She knew she liked him, but they had only dated once and they barely knew each other. They had just bumped into each other and she already wanted to give him kisses. And… she also kind of wanted to baby him, which felt crazy since she was a little girl!

Even though the cafeteria was packed with people, lunch was a quiet and enjoyable moment. Not moody anymore, Zuko behaved and ate half of his food without complaint. Jin behaved as well, having Sato feed her some spoonfuls lovingly and chatting with Zuko about a book she had read a while ago. They talked for a bit longer and then the headmistress walked into the cafeteria, causing everyone to immediately stop talking. 

"It has been a wonderful first day" She spoke proudly. "All of you have been on your best behavior" She looked at many of the Littles. "Therefore, you shall receive a reward" 

The teachers started handing out chocolate for the little kids, who eagerly started munching their pieces. 

"Thank you" Said Zuko, once a teacher handed him his piece of chocolate. He broke it in three pieces and gave one to Katara. "Here, mommy" He blushed 

"Awww" Katara gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Aren't you the sweetest?" 

Then, Zuko gave Jin a piece. "Here" He smiled. "For the cookies" 

Jin smiled excitedly and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek as well. "Thanks Zuko!" 

Zuko smiled and ate his small piece slowly, enjoying the sweet flavor. 

After picking up their stuff, Katara and Zuko said goodbye to Jin and Sato, making plans for the next day so that the kids could play together in one of the squares nearby after daycare, and then left to go home. 

"So," Katara started as they walked. "Did you have a nice time?" 

Zuko blushed and nodded. He felt embarrassed to admit that daycare wasn't that terrible. "It was fun" But he still doubted that the next days would be as fun without Katara being there with him. "Mommy…"

Katara turned to look at him. "Yes, sweetheart?"

Zuko scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit awkward. "I-- can you come tomorrow, too?" 

Katara chuckled. "I'm afraid not, baby. It was just for today, so that you wouldn't be in a new place on your own" 

Zuko let out a groan. "Then I don't wanna go" 

Katara stopped walking and put her hands on Zuko's face, looking him in the eye. "You can do it, don't be scared" She told him sweetly. "I know it's scary because you're not used to being around so many people, but trust me when I say that you'll get used to it easily. Tomorrow might be a bit overwhelming, I'm not gonna lie, but you're a very smart boy and you'll find a way to have fun and come home with a smile" She was tearing up a bit. Sometimes it was hard to calm Zuko down when even she felt nervous. 

Zuko nodded, looking down. "And what if it's too hard?" He pouted, making Katara feel the urge to pinch his pale, soft cheeks. She didn't, it wasn't the right time for that. 

"Then I'll do whatever I can to make you feel better, even if it's being here to pick you up earlier if you feel overwhelmed" She stared at him lovingly. "I won't be mad if you struggle to get used to it, okay? And if it doesn't make you happy I won't force you. I just want you to try, for now" 

Zuko nodded slowly. "Thank you, mommy" Katara kissed his cheek and lowered her hands. 

Katara smiled at him before they continued walking. "I'm glad you had fun today, I had fun, too" She paused. "We still have to talk about you running off in the morning, though" 

Zuko stopped walking, wide-eyed. "I-- I'm sorry about that" He felt truly ashamed of himself. He shouldn't have done that, he should've just talked to her like he just had! 

Even though Katara felt sorry for her little boy, who had been stressed about starting daycare, she knew she had to punish him in order to show him that what he had done was wrong and mustn't be repeated. Her first thought was to pull him over her knees and give him a thorough spanking, but she didn't want to taint his first day of kindergarten by making his butt sore. So she had to think about something else. Maybe she could give him a lecture and a severe warning, instead of downright spanking him. 

She took his hand and encouraged him to keep on walking. "Let's go home, baby" She told him. Zuko shook his head, standing still. Katara turned to look at him. "What is it, honey?" 

Zuko spoke sadly, shaking a little bit. "You'll hit me, right?" 

Katara bit her bottom lip to choke a sob and ran the few steps that separated them to hug him tightly. 

"No, I won't. Don't you worry about that, sweetheart" She held his head with one hand, gently pulling it closer to her neck. "Mommy will never hit you" 

Even before Zuko ever got spanked by Katara, she talked to him about how hitting and spanking were different things. She didn't want Zuko to ever be confused after being punished, so she had to make things clear. 

"B-but I was bad" Zuko still had doubts, though. How come Katara never hit him? One day she would get really mad at him and he'd have to face her wrath, he thought. And maybe today was that day. 

"Zuko--" Katara started, but he accidentally cut her off. She pulled away. 

"I saw your face when you saw me and Jin" He looked down, ashamed of himself. "You were mad" 

Katara nodded. "I was frustrated and worried, you had run from me in a crowd" She had to admit that she still felt pangs of fear when she remembered how afraid of losing Zuko she had been a few hours earlier. 

Zuko flinched instinctively, and maybe a bit out of regret. He felt the need to bang his head on a wall. "I'm sorry I was bad" He had done so well for so long without feeling the need to redeem himself that he had forgotten how awful it was. Yet he had that sinking feeling in his stomach again. He was so embarrassed his eyes watered. "I'll do better, I promise!" He begged, tears rolling down his face non-stop. 

Katara stared at him in awe. "Zuko" She gasped. 

It took her a few seconds to react, but once she did she sat down on the floor, in the middle of the pathway, and pulled Zuko into her lap. She rocked him gently, shushing him motherly as she hummed a lullaby. Zuko continued crying, but he let Katara hold him without putting up a fuss. 

"I'll be a good boy, mama" He clung to her light blue sash and sobbed. 

Katara patted his bottom and continued shushing him gently. "You are a good boy" She brushed some strands out of his eyes as she rocked him. "You are mommy's good boy" 

Zuko shook his head. "N-no, I keep letting you down" He whimpered, still clinging to Katara's sash.

Katara felt her heart shatter once again. Tears threatened to come out but she held back before Zuko noticed and blamed himself for making his mommy cry. How could he think he was letting her down? That hurt her so bad. But it wasn't his fault, it was her responsibility to show him that he was loved and that she was proud of him. 

She shook her head. "No, baby, mommy's proud of you" 

Zuko stopped whimpering for a second and looked at her, wide-eyed. "R-really?" She nodded, smiling lovingly. "B-but why?" 

Katara kissed his forehead. "First of all, you have been through so much but are so sweet and full of love… I'm proud you've pulled through and now are able to show your feelings instead of hiding them under layers of rage" She said, and he blushed. He didn't fully believe that was such a feat. "Secondly, you have tried so many new things and learned a lot these months we've been together. It was hard because you had to let go of what you had learned from your biological family, but you've made it and we couldn't be prouder of you. You're our good boy, Zuko" 

He blushed and hid his face into her chest, still spilling some tears but not nearly as many as he had just minutes ago. "What can I do to make it up to you?" He murmured, ashamed of having to ask her how to redeem himself. 

"Just don't do it again, okay?" She told him sweetly. Zuko nodded, he could do that. He wrapped his arms around her torso. 

"Thanks. And sorry, mommy" He said, hugging her tightly. 

Katara smiled and nodded, patting his padded butt a few more times. "It's okay, honey"

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, just relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze that transitioning from Summer to Autumn brought. Then, Zuko moved slightly to accommodate himself. 

"Are you ready to go home?" She asked her boy, who she had thought was asleep until he started moving. He nodded. 

She and Zuko returned home, being welcome by a very relaxed Iroh, who was, of course, drinking jasmine tea. He quickly saw that Zuko's eyes were red and puffy, so he stood up and cupped his face. 

"What happened?" He asked Katara, turning to look at her. He didn't mean to sound as if he was mad at Katara or something, but his overprotective side made it impossible for him to use the best tone. 

Zuko stepped in. "I was bad, I tried to escape during the director's speech in the morning. We were talking about that a while ago and I got upset" He explained, looking down and feeling embarrassed. 

Iroh almost looked away, but decided against it. He just nodded slowly. "Did you say sorry?" 

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, and mommy said that it's okay, but only if I don't do it again" 

Iroh nodded and then turned to look at Katara. "I'm sorry, I got overwhelmed--" He started apologizing to her. 

Katara shook her head, smiling. "It's fine, General Iroh" 

Sokka and Toph entered the room, laughing elbowing each other until Toph punched Sokka's arm with affection. They didn't take long to realize that Katara and Zuko had just returned. They straightened up and smiled at them. 

"Hi, Sparky, how'd it go?" Toph asked him, unable to avoid showing that she really wanted to know how Zuko's first day at the daycare had gone. 

Sokka nodded. "Yeah, how was it?" He had almost forgotten that it had been Zuko's first day. 

Zuko scratched the back of his head, not knowing where to begin. "Uhh… I wanted to come home at first, but then I saw that an old friend was there and forgot about being upset" He explained quickly, omitting that he had tried to escape the building but hadn't succeeded. 

Toph sensed that he had skipped some details, but didn't say anything about him seeming to be nervous. She decided to ask him later, in private, since there must've been a reason why he hadn't told him the entire truth. 

Sokka was excited to see Zuko, since he had carved a few wooden soldiers for him. He had improved since the tiny man he had made for Yue, but he knew he still had a lot to learn. So he ruffled the boy's hair and spoke to him excitedly. "Wanna go outside and play?" 

Zuko nodded, smiling, and followed Sokka outside the house. The Water Tribe warrior had taken some time to accept him as family, even a bit longer than Katara had, but once he started seeing Zuko for who he was he couldn't stop beginning to like him more and more until the Little became like a baby brother to him. And Zuko loved having someone as funny, sweet and caring as Sokka in his life. They cuddled for a nap together more often than not, and played ninjas for hours. Lately, Katara had started teaching Sokka to change Zuko's diapers, since they couldn't have Zuko sitting in a used diaper if she was somewhere else at the time. At first, Sokka had refused and Zuko had protested against it, but Katara insisted on it being crucial and they couldn't put it off any longer. 

Once they were outside, under the afternoon sunshine, Sokka extended his arms and showed Zuko the palms of his hands, where he held 5 soldiers in total. Zuko stared at them, amazed, and then clung to Sokka for a hug. 

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Sokka!" He hugged him tightly, smiling when the other boy returned the hug and patted his shoulder blade. "They're beautiful!" He said, after pulling away, taking the tiny soldiers from Sokka's hands and looking at them. They were shaped like wooden men, and each of them was barely taller and thicker than his index finger. He loved them, they were the perfect size for him to play with them! 

Sokka smiled wide. "Glad you like them" He wouldn't admit it, but he did blush after Zuko's compliment. The other boy was such a sweetheart, he couldn't help wanting to do things for him. 

They sat on the floor and played for over an hour, having everyone join them after a while, and then Iroh made jasmine tea for all of them. They drank and relaxed, feeling the breeze embrace them as time passed. Soon, Zuko started feeling sleepy and rested his head on Sokka's shoulder. Before the baby fell asleep, Sokka lowered him so that Zuko's head was on his lap instead. He touched Zuko's hair, feeling its softness, as everyone chatted and he listened to them. Katara smiled when she saw them, they looked very cute. 

"Looks like you could use a nap, too, huh?" Katara chuckled, watching Sokka struggle to keep his eyes open. Zuko made him feel warm, just like Katara did– only when she wasn't bossing people around. Sokka truly felt like Zuko was his little brother, who he babysat from time to time and who he took lots of naps with. On top of that, he felt truly attached to Zuko, even though at first he had hated him for invading his village and trying to capture Aang at all costs, and there was something intriguing and sweet about him that made Sokka coo over him all the time. And he had to confess he liked cuddling him and patting his butt lazily until he fell asleep. 

Sokka nodded, rubbing one of his eyes. It was in times like this when Katara wished classification methods changed and people could be considered a 'switch' or something like that. She knew that Sokka wasn't entirely Little nor was he entirely Baseline; he was in the middle, since he was like 80% Baseline but had an ounce of littleness. 

"Okay, I'll carry Zuko and you'll walk. Is that okay?" Katara said, and Sokka nodded. He helped her pick Zuko up, since he had truly fallen asleep, and then they walked towards Sokka's bedroom. 

Sokka had, according to Zuko, the best bed in the whole house: it was very soft, and the mattress was huge! They both fit perfectly and had enough space for wrestling, which they did secretly– not that Katara would be very happy if she found out. For that reason, every time they napped together it was in Sokka's bedroom. 

When she laid him down on the bed, Zuko stirred a little bit before he settled down and let out a sigh. Sokka laid down next to him and grabbed him by the waist, moving him so that Zuko was resting on his chest. Katara smiled and covered them with the bedsheets. 

"Enjoy your nap, boys" Katara said, and then she left. 

Sokka sighed contently and closed his eyes, ready to let sleep take over.

**Author's Note:**

> So... Do you guys want me to continue or should I leave it like that? Tell me what you think :'3


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